Rudder-lock.



K. LUND.

RUDDER LOOK.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB. 5. 1913.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.'

l i i wao www@ i srafr RUBBER-LOCK.

Specification oi." Letters Patent.

Patented lDec. 9, 1913.

Application filed February 5, 1913. Serial No. 746,838.

To all lwhom zt may concern Be it known that I, KJELD LUND, a citirzenof the United States, residing at South- Locks, of which the following is a specificaltion, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawing.

This invention provides a quickly-'acting and reliable means whereby a ships rudder is held in fixed position in case the steeringgear is accidentally put out of operation by breaking or otherwise, so that repairs may be made. f

Through the breaking of steering-gear or tiller-ropes many ships have been wrecked and lives and property lost. When such an accident occurs in a heavy sea, the tiller or quadrant oscillates with violence fromone side to the other andfurther injury sustained by the steering mechanism-and these conditions are particularly disastrous when a vessel is close to a lee shore. It is a comparatively easy matter to make repairs when the motion of the rudder and associated parts can be stopped, and this invention provides a device for locking the rudder in fixed position while repairs can be made, the mechanisni being easily thrown into locking position by means accessible from the deck of a vessel.

lVhen read in connection with the description herein, the details of construction and arrangement of parts contemplated by this invention will be apparent from the aecompanying drawing, forming part hereof, wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed, for purposes of illustration.

Nhile the disclosures herein now are considered to represent the best embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that they merely are illustrative of the principles thereof, that the several instrumentalities employed in carrying out the invention can be variously organized within the limits prescribed by the claims hereinafter without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention, and that it is not the intention to be limited necessarily to the precise delineation herein in interpretation of the claims.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views of the drawing, of which- Figure l is a side view of the stern portion of a vessel having my invention associated therewith7 a art of the hull being broken away for a disclosure of the invention; Fig. 2 `is a plan view` of the locking mechanism; Fig. 3 is a view of the steerlng-sector; Fig. 4 is a side view of the stopper-block; Fig. 5 is a rear view of the stopper-block; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the operating-stand.

Having more particular reference to the drawing, 6 designates a vessel, 7 the rudder, and 8 the rudder-post thereof extending to the deck of the vessel. A sector or other suitable member 9, which may be a quadrant of somewhat the usual. form, to which force is applied, by means of tiller-chains 10 or otherwise, is fixedly secured to the rudder-post above the deck, whereby the requisite movements for steering the vessel are imparted to the rudder. The under side of the sector is comparatively smooth and capable of sliding Contact with a part yet to be described.

Supports 11 and 12 are secured to any suitable fixed parts, as to the under side of the deck. A slide 13 is held by these supports, a single end being held bysupport 11 and the other end being forked or bifurcated and extending on each side of the rudder-post and held by supports 12. ,Intermediate its ends the slide is formed with a yoke 14:, in which is disposed an eccentric 15. The eccentric is on a rod or shaft 16 extending to a stand 17 orto any other easilyaccessible position on the deck of the vessel, and on this rod is a crank or handle 18, for the purpose of turning the rod and eccentric and imparting longitudinal movement to the slide.

In supports 19 secured to the under side of the deck or to other suitable fixed parts is supported on trunnions 20 an arm or lever 21 formed with weighted portions 22 on one side of the trunnions and a single member 23 on the other side, and on the weighted portions is a cross-bar or member 2li, which normally rests on the ends of the bifurcated portions of the slide 13, whereby the said weighted portions of the arm 2l normally are held in raised position. A plate 25 is set in the deck, preferably amidship, under the sector 9 on the rudder-post, and in this plate is a vertically-movable stopper-block or key 26 arranged to be moved to bring its upper portion into contact with the under side of the sector and into engagement with an aperture 27 in the sector, this aperture preferably being located s o that it w1ll be amidship and directly over the stopper-block when the rudder is amidship. vThe lower portion of the stopper-block is formed with a slot 28 having its upper end rounded as shown, and in this slot, and held therein by a bolt 29, is disposed the portion 23 of the lever 21, this portion being curved downwardly to facilitate 'movement of the parts to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be seen that the bolt 29 and the portion 23 will prevent the stopper-block from jumping out of the plate and being lost.

In order to maintain the slide normally in position to keep the weighted portions of the lever raised and the stopper-block out of operative position, the crank 18 may be hinged intermediate its ends, as shown at 80, so that a knob or the like 81 on the end thereof may be turned over into a socket 32 in the top of the stand 17.

When the parts are in their normal posittions, as shown by full lines in Fi 1, the

stopper-block is in depressed position and out of engagement with the aperture in the sector. When it is desired for any reason to lock the rudder, the knob 31, of the handle 18 is withdrawn from the socket 32 and the hinged portion of the handle turned over until it assumesan extended position. rl`hen thehandle is manipulated to turn the eccentric l5 and withdraw the slide from position of supporting" contact with the weighted end of the lever. Thereupon, that end of the lever will drop and raise the other end. -On this movement, the stopperblock will be forced into the aperture 27 and the rudder locked, if at that time the rudder is amidship. Otherwise, the stopperblock will be forced against and have sliding contact with the under side of the sector, and when the aperture, during swinging of the rudder, comesl amidship, the weighted lever then will force the block into the aperture and the rudder will be locked.

It will be seen that the handle 18 is in a position for easy and quick access in case of emergency, so that the device can be thrown into lookin position without delay.

If desire the device may have associated acarrear with it electric or other means for operation from the bridge or pilot-house.

Having thus descrlbed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a rudder, a sector connected therewith and having/p an aperture therein, a stopper-block below the sector capable of' movement to locking position of contact with the under side of the sector and into engagement'with the aperture thereof, a lever in engagement with said stopperblock and movable to raise the latter to lock--` ing position, a slide normally in engagement with said lever and holding the lever and stopper-block out of locking position, and means whereby said slide is moved from locking position with respect to said lever.

2. The combination of a rudder, a sector connected therewith and having an aperture therein, a stopper-block below the sector capable of movement to locking position of contact with the under side of the sector and into engagement with the aperture thereof, a weighted lever in engagement with said stopper-block and operable to raise the latter to locking position, a slide normally in engagement with said lever and holding the lever and stopper-block out of operation, said slide comprising a yoke, and an eccentric in said yoke.

3. The combination of a rudder, a sector connected therewith and having an aperture therein, a vertically-movable stopper-block below the sector capable of movement to locking position of contact by its upper end with the under side of said sector and into engagement with the aperture thereof and having in its lower end a slot, a lever having an end disposed in the slot of said stopperblock and operable to raise the stopper-block to locking'position, and means normally retaining said lever in inoperative position and operable to release said lever and permit said stopper-block to, be moved to locking position. v

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KJELD LUND. Vitnesses W. F. GREEK, GEORGE II. GREEK. 

